At a May Day programme at the Osmani Memorial Hall Saturday, she declared that the foundation would be the "workers' own organisation having their elected representation".

She would ask the labour and employment ministry to make a detailed outline of the foundation. She hoped that workers, employers and local and foreign donors would come forward to help set up this foundation.

Once the foundation is established, workers of the government and non-government sectors would not have to look to the government or the owners for help in their need, she said.

Speaking as chief guest at the function, organised by the labour ministry, the prime minister urged the workers to maintain discipline and work with dedication, honesty and sincerity for increasing production.

She reminded them that development and production in Bangladesh were still labour-oriented and in most of the places, machines were yet to take the place of a person.

"Once again I greet these people behind the machines whose sweat has kept the wheels of development, production and progress moving," Khaleda said.

Referring to women's contribution, she said national development in real sense is not possible by ignoring their rights or by discriminating them.

She asked all concerned to evaluate the contributions of women in the family, field, factory or office with respect.

The prime minister said the government has established technical training centres in every old district for skill-development of the labours. Separate training centres for women were being set up in the divisional towns to groom skilled manpower.

"We believe that the wheels of production and development cannot be kept running without ensuring the interests and welfare of the directly involved toiling labours," she said.

She mentioned that the current labour policy was drawn up during the period of Ziaur Rahman in 1980 while in the 1992 stint of BNP, steps were taken to make the labour laws time-befitting in the light of the ILO Convention.

The alliance government has taken steps to finalise the labour laws, Khaleda said, hoping to see its application very soon.

State Minister for Labour and Employment Amanullah Aman, ILO representative in Dhaka Gopal Bhattacharya, Bangladesh Employers' Federation M Anisuddowlah, Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal General Secretary M Zafrul Hasan Khan and Secretary In-charge of the labour ministry Ali Imam Majumdar also addressed the function.

Ministers, MPs, chiefs of the three services, diplomats, labour leaders and senior government officials were present.

The function ended with a musical programme.